ISLAMABAD, June 2: The Sensitive Price Index (SPI) increased by 0.86 per cent during the week ending June 1, 2007 over the previous week, according to the weekly price data released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS) here on Saturday.

Weekly inflation measured through SPI witnessed upward trend as a result of massive increase in the price of 19 essential kitchen items including edible oils, different varieties of rice etc.The group-wise analysis of the behaviour of prices of 53 essential items prevailing in 17 towns of the country showed that the SPI witnessed an increase of 0.82 per cent and 0.88 per cent for households in the two lower income brackets up to Rs3,000 and Rs3,001-5,000, respectively.

For the households in income brackets of Rs5,001-12,000 and over Rs12,000, the increase in the SPI was 0.89 per cent 0.69 per cent, respectively, over the previous week.

According to data, prices of 19 items went up during the period under review as compared to the previous week.

The price of tomatoes rose by 23.37 per cent to Rs41.13 per kg as against Rs33.34 and eggs witnessed an increase of 8.69 per cent to Rs38.52 per dozen as against Rs35.44 the previous week.

The price of rice basmati increased by 6.55pc to Rs29.53 per kg from Rs27.71, rice irri-6 up by 5.57pc to Rs21.03 per kg as against Rs19.92, potatoes rose by 5.20pc to Rs13.14 per kg as against Rs12.49, vegetable ghee tin rose by 4.93pc to Rs257.65 per 2.5-kg from Rs245.54, cooking oil tin up by 4.69pc to Rs258.24 per 2.5-litre as against Rs246.66, vegetable ghee (loose) up by 2.73pc to Rs85.76 per kg as against Rs83.48, curd 1.57pc to Rs33.62pc per kg as against Rs33.10.

The price of red chillies increased by 1.13 per cent to Rs118.60 per Kg as against Rs117.28, mustard oil rose 0.77pc to Rs84.60 per kg as against Rs83.95, voil printed 0.75pc to Rs38.99 per metre as against Rs38.70, cooked beef plate by 0.46pc to Rs30.44 as against Rs30.30.

Cooked dal plate rose by 0.39pc to Rs18.19 as against Rs18.12, wheat flour 0.36pc to Rs13.97 per kg as against Rs13.92, lawn 0.35pc to Rs83.76 per metre as against Rs83.47, mutton 0.33pc to Rs229.78 per kg as against Rs229.03, milk fresh 0.28 percent to Rs28.61 per kg as against Rs28.53, and beef 0.12pc to Rs120.58 per kg as against Rs120.44.